From 18 September to 3 October 2026, three students from the University of French Guiana will be taking part in an Amazonian cooperation initiative on the bioeconomy in Belém and Santarém, combining an immersive learning programme, field visits and the presentation of their research, with the aim of strengthening regional exchanges.
Plans are under way for academic cooperation between French Guiana and Brazil
The project takes shape on 13 April 2026. Martine Sebelouë, acting director of the University of French Guiana, and Rosuel Lima-Pereira, vice-president for international relations, welcomed Nadège Mézié, head of the Franco-Brazilian Centre for Amazonian Biodiversity (CFBBA).
This meeting provides an opportunity to explore the possibility of students from the University of French Guiana taking part in an immersive programme dedicated to the bioeconomy. The programme involves several institutions: the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), the Federal University of Western Pará (UFOPA) and the University of Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC).
This Amazonian collaboration on the bioeconomy thus brings together several French and Brazilian universities to address shared challenges. It focuses on local knowledge, Amazonian resources and exchanges between students, researchers and local stakeholders.
A call for applications for Master’s and PhD students
To make this participation a reality, the International Relations Office at the University of French Guiana is launching a call for applications in partnership with the French Embassy in Brazil and the Amabio initiative. It is open to Master’s and PhD students. Applications must be submitted by 15 July 2026.
The Mission School in the Brazilian Amazon is scheduled to take place from 18 September to 3 October 2026. It focuses on the bioeconomy, social innovation and the sustainable use of Amazonian resources. The programme combines academic activities, field trips and meetings with local stakeholders.
Several themes underpin this immersion programme: agroecology, local knowledge, natural products and sustainable entrepreneurship. Travel between Cayenne and Belém, as well as accommodation and meal costs, were to be covered by the University of French Guiana and the French Embassy in Brazil.
Three students from the University of French Guiana have been selected
Following a review of the applications, three female students were selected. Emmanuelle Renard, a Master’s student, is working on promoting the use of calabash and Amazonian traditional skills. Her project forms part of a wider exploration of local resources and the practices associated with them.
Alizée de Bollardière, a PhD student, is conducting research into small-scale coastal fishing and trade between French Guiana and Brazil. Vitória Taïlamé, also a PhD student, is studying building materials that incorporate local biological resources.
These three projects illustrate the diversity of research being carried out in French Guiana on issues relating to the Amazon. They link the social, environmental, cultural and technical aspects of the bioeconomy to issues that are directly rooted in the region.
Two weeks of immersion between Belém and Santarém
The three winners’ exchange programme will take place from 18 September to 3 October 2026 in Belém and Santarém. The highlight of the trip is the immersive school, which runs from 19 to 30 September. The first week will be spent in Belém, followed by the second week in Santarém.
The programme alternates between community-based meetings and classroom-based sessions. This structure enables participants to compare academic approaches with on-the-ground realities and the knowledge developed in the Amazonian regions.
The tuition fees for the three students at the school are covered by the French Development Agency (AFD). This exchange programme is therefore part of a partnership involving academic institutions, development cooperation organisations and bodies committed to regional development.
A scientific conference to present research findings
Before returning to Cayenne, scheduled for Saturday 3 October, the students are to present their research at a meeting organised with lecturers from UFPA. The event is entitled ‘Encontro Brasil–França: Relatos de pesquisas sobre Povos Tradicionais, Bioeconomia e Sustentabilidade na Amazônia’.
The poster included in the document announces this event on 1 October at 2.00 pm, at the IFCH Auditorium at UFPA. The three students will be speaking alongside Jéssica França from UFPA. The event is being organised by Nadège Mézié from Expertise France and Edna Alencar from UFPA.
Research and knowledge brought together on an Amazonian scale
From French Guiana to Pará, this initiative brings together academic research, community-based knowledge and perspectives on sustainable development in the Amazon. It also creates a forum for exchange between students and partners on both sides of the border.
This regional cooperation finally makes it possible to share methods, experiences and research relating to common challenges. Through the bioeconomy, fisheries, biological resources, local expertise and construction materials, the participants are contributing to a joint reflection on the future of the Amazonian regions.
This exchange between French Guiana and Pará illustrates academic cooperation centred on the bioeconomy, local knowledge and Amazonian issues. From community-based work to academic exchanges, the three students are applying their research to the realities on the ground. To build on this momentum, keep an eye on upcoming regional cooperation initiatives and the work being carried out by the students and partner institutions.
FAQ
When is the exchange programme for the three students in Brazil taking place?
The exchange programme is scheduled to take place from 18 September to 3 October 2026. More specifically, the immersive course on the bioeconomy will run from 19 to 30 September.
Where does the immersive course on the bioeconomy take place?
The programme takes place in the state of Pará, Brazil. The first week is in Belém and the second in Santarém.
Which female students from the University of French Guiana have been selected?
The three winners are Emmanuelle Renard, Alizée de Bollardière and Vitória Taïlamé. Their research focuses, respectively, on calabashes and Amazonian traditional skills, small-scale fishing and trade between French Guiana and Brazil, and building materials made from local biological resources.
Who is funding this mobility in the Brazilian Amazon?
The document states that travel between Cayenne and Belém, as well as accommodation and meals, were to be covered by the University of French Guiana and the French Embassy in Brazil. The costs of the three students’ attendance at the school are covered by the French Development Agency.
What will the students be presenting at the UFPA?
They are presenting their research at the Encontro Brasil–França, which focuses on traditional peoples, the bioeconomy and sustainability in the Amazon. The event poster announces that the meeting will take place on 1 October at 2.00 pm in the IFCH Auditorium at UFPA.
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